Industry: Government is obligated to provide inspectionsFood Safety NewsAfter the White House and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack suggested the automatic budget cuts, known as the sequester, could force the government to furlough all federal meat inspectors, the food industry is arguing that such a move would violate the government's legal obligation to keep inspectors at work.

New York City announces progress in efforts to reduce saltThe Associated Press via MedPage TodayTwenty-one companies have met targets in a New York City-led effort to get restaurants and food manufacturers nationwide to lighten up on salt, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday. The salt campaign — one in a series of novel but controversial healthy eating initiatives on Bloomberg's 11-year tenure — takes aim at foods ranging from hot dogs to soup to popcorn.

In State of the Union, Obama to return to jobs and the economyThe Washington PostPresident Barack Obama will concentrate his State of the Union speech Tuesday on the economy, shifting the emphasis away from the broad social agenda of his second inaugural address to refocus attention on a set of problems that vexed his first term.

Obama, Democratic senators to meet on immigrationPOLITICOPresident Barack Obama plans to meet this week with Democratic senators trying to hammer out a bipartisan immigration deal, a fresh sign of White House involvement as back-channel talks gather steam.

Farm bill 10-year baseline releasedNational Hog FarmerThe Congressional Budget Office released its February baseline on agricultural program costs over 10 years. CBO will release another baseline in March, which will be used by Congress in writing the new farm bill. The preliminary numbers are not as bad as many were expecting.

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Finding ways to get students to eat betterPhillyburbs.comSchools in Burlington County, Pa., are turning to student gardens, promotional campaigns and even "potato smiles" in their efforts to make healthy eating a way of life for students.

FDA actively looking for 'systems recognition' with more countriesFood Chemical News (subscription required)Having granted "systems recognition" to New Zealand in December, FDA is actively evaluating other countries for similar status as one of its leading priorities this year, Michael Roosevelt, acting director of the Office of Compliance, told the Food and Drug Law Institute's Food Week 2013 conference Friday.

Canada appoints panel to review XL Foods recallMeat & PoultryCanada's federal government has appointed an Independent Advisory Panel to review the XL Foods Inc. E. coli O157:H7 investigation and recall. XL Foods was at the center of the largest beef recall in Canadian history. The team will make recommendations based on its findings.

FAO teams up to fight food price volatility, food insecurityFoodBevFAO and the International Academy of Gastronomy will combine their strengths to combat hunger and poverty, with particular emphasis on food price volatility, the promotion of sustainable food consumption, the conservation of biodiversity and the renewal of neglected crops.

First lawsuits are filed over horse meat fraudAFP-Jiji via The Japan TimesA food fraud scandal over horse meat sold as beef deepened Saturday as two companies at the center of the row took legal action and European governments said criminal activity is suspected.

Sequestration mean big cuts to food inspectionsFood Safety NewsIf Congress allows the sequester to kick in March 1, cuts to food safety would be one of the "most damaging" consequences of the automatic budget reductions, according to the White House.

Consumers crave farm-to-table freshnessFood Business NewsSeventy percent of shoppers are willing to pay more for locally sourced food, according to A.T. Kearney, a global management consulting firm. Supporting local economies and benefiting environmental sustainability drive consumer preference for local food.

Bye-bye, big burger? Diners try to cut caloriesBloomberg BusinessweekAmerica's romance with triple-decker, gooey cheese- and bacon-laden burgers is officially cooling. Not that we're all noshing on baby carrots. A new study by the Hudson Institute finds that demand for traditional items at restaurants is falling, with what the think tank calls "low-calorie" items rising to take their place.

Unchecked antibiotic use in animals may affect global human healthMichigan State University via Medical XpressThe increasing production and use of antibiotics, about half of which is used in animal production, is mirrored by the growing number of antibiotic resistance genes, or ARGs, effectively reducing antibiotics' ability to fend off diseases — in animals and humans.

Australia worries about food safety after US report on antibioticsTopNewsScientists have expressed concern about importing food items from China as heavy usage of antibiotics on farms there has become a threat to the food safety of Australia. Antibiotics that are being rigorously used by China on animal farms will tend to cause antibiotic resistance, according to the U.S. scientists.

Label fears put Europe on trail of horse meatThe Wall Street JournalA growing scandal involving horse meat mislabeled as beef is sweeping across Europe, sparking concerns about the accuracy of labeling and the complex path that food travels on the way to the continent's consumers.

Marketer: Industry can learn from 'pink slime' issueCapital PressWhen traditional and online news outlets exploded with reports of "pink slime" in ground beef, consumers were faced with decisions on their purchases. "They allowed the slant of what they heard in the news or online to determine their position," said Danette Amstein, a principal with Midan Marketing. But the industry can learn from how the LFTB issues played out, she said.

Seventh annual Food Industry Summit to examine marketplace issuesSaint Joseph's UniversitySaint Joseph's University Food Marketing Program will host the seventh annual Food Industry Summit March 7. "Leveraging Shopper Insights at the Moment of Truth" will focus on key marketplace issues, including a shift in marketing spending, new channels for reaching customers and more.

Harvard Food Law Society turns attention to food labelingQuality Assurance & Food SafetyThe Harvard Law School Food Law Society is hosting its second food policy conference, and the first law school conference dedicated to examining the issue of food labeling from a legal perspective in Cambridge, Mass, March 8-9. The conference will explore the legal and policy aspects of food labeling, specifically its effects on consumer knowledge, choice and behavior.